Pushbuttion switch having a nameplate light signal



R. M. DURIS Aprii 9, 1968 PUSHBUTTON SWITCH HAVING A NAMEPLATE LIGHTSIGNAL Filed March 6, 1967 INVENTOR.

R. M. DURIS HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,377,453 PUSHBUTTONSWITCH HAVING A .NAMEPLATE LIGHT SIGNAL Rudolph M. Duris, Norwalk,Conn., assignor to Edwards Company, Inc., Norwalk, Conn., a corporationof Connecticut Filed Mar. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 621,017 8 Claims. (Cl.2t)0167) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Push-button nameplate light signalmodules are secured one above another to a vertically disposedsupporting bracket or channel. Each module has a lamp receptacle and aswitch secured to respective sides of the channel. An L shaped bracketis provided for actuating the switch having one leg disposed between thereceptacle and the channel and slidable longitudinally within limits,and the other leg of the bracket having a light box secured thereto. Thelight box has an opening for receiving light from a-lainp in thereceptacle, and a reflector is provided in the light box for evenillumination by the lamp of a quickly detachable translucent nameplatecover.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to pushbuttonsfor illuminating nameplate signals, and it more particularly relates tomodular pushbutton signals secured one above another on a supportingchannel, each modular unit having an elongated light signal button forthe illumination of indicia such as the name of a person.

Buttons of this character areuseful, for example, in a hospital, as adoctors register for indicating whether a doctor is present or absentfrom the hospital. For this use the several nameplate signals displaynames of doctors and the nameplates are selectively illuminated inaccordance with whether a doctor is in or out. A doctor can registerhimself into the register, for example, by depressing the button bearinghis name and thereby causing the signal in the button to be illuminated.When the doctor leaves the hospital, he may actuate his button forasecond time and cause the signal in that button to be extinguished. Thismode of operation is made possible by operating switches in response toactuation of the buttons which in turn close and opentheir contactsrespectively in response to alternate button actuations.

Summary The system according to the present invention provides apersonnel reporting register made up of a plurality of modularselectively illuminated pushbutton light signals secured to a verticallydisposed supporting channel. Each of the modules comprises a lampreceptacle, secured to one side of the channel, and a switch secured toanother side of the channel. An L shaped switch operating bracket isprovided for operating the switch having one leg dis-' posed between thebracket and the receptacle and operable longitudinally within limits.The other leg of the bracket operates the switch to turn it on and offrespectively in response to alternate actuations of the associatedpushbutton.

A light box is secured to the switch operating leg of the bracket forilluminating a nameplate in a light box cover, the light box having anopening through which light is received from a lamp within thereceptacle. The light box contains a reflector for diffusion of thelight to obtain even illumination for the nameplate.

One object of the present invention is to provide a register havingmodular pus-hbutton light signals that are simple and inexpensive tomanufacture, and that provide desired even illumination and are readilyaccessible for replacement of lamps and the changing of nameplates.

Other objects, purposes and characteristic features of the presentinvention will be in part obvious from the accompanying drawing, and inpart pointed out as the description of the invention progresses.

In descrtbing the invention in detail, reference is made to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view, partly in crosssection, of atypical modular push button light signal unit provided according to oneembodiment of the present invention and supported on a verticallydisposed supporting channel; and

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a personnel register constructedaccording to the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present inventioncomprises a channel support 10 to which a plurality of pushbutton switchmodules are secured. Each of the modules has a bracketll for actuating aswitch 12. Each module has a nameplate light signal including a lampreceptacle 13 secured to the supporting bracket 10, a lamp 19, a lightbox 15 secured to the bracket 11 and a nameplate cover 16 for the lightbox 15.

The lamp receptacle 13 comprises contact fingers 17 and 18 forsupporting a lamp 19 and making contacts respectively with lampconductors 20and 21. The lamp supporting fingers 17 and 18 are insulatedfrom each other and supported in a stack of sheets of insulatingmaterial with their ends protruding from the insulating material toprovide wire connections at the back. The lamp receptacle 13 is securedin assembly to the supporting channel 10 by screws 22 which pass througha longitudinal opening 23 in one leg of bracket 11 and through holes 24in the bracket 10. Screws 22 are threaded into nuts 25 which arepreferably formed to have shoulders bearing against the inner side ofthe channel 10 and smooth bosses passing through the longitudinalopening 23in the bracket 11 for guiding the bracket ll during movementof the bracket 11 and to provide proper spacing to permit free movementof the bracket 11. The not 29 extends through bracket 11 and the outerend of the nut 29 protrudes to serve as a stop when the bracket 11 isactuated to its depressed position wherein the nut 29 strikes theforward edge at point 30 of a striker and guide plate 31 that is securedbetwe n the receptacle 13 and the bracket 11. i

Disposed between the front leg of the bracket 11 and the front portionof the supporting channel his a compression spring 32 which biases thebracket 11' to a forward position. This spring is secured to the channel10 by a screw 33 which is inserted through an opening 34 in bracket '11that is large enough for passage of the head of the screw. The screw 33passes through the channel 10 and is threaded into a hole 35 in theswitch 12. The switch 12 has a registration pin 36 that enters a hole 37in channel 10. The switch 12 also has a longitudinally operableoperating lever 38 which passes through an opening 39 in the channel 10.Thus the switch 12 is subject to actuation by longitudinal movement ofthe bracket 11. The switch 12 is preferably of the type whereinalternate actuations of the operating lever 38 open and close thecontacts respectively of the switch.

The light box is constructed of sufficient length to provide space for anameplate in its cover 16 and it is formed with an opening 4-0 for lightfrom the lamp 119 to enter the box. It is preferable that the end of thelamp 19 be frosted and that it extend into the opening 40. The light box15 is secured to the bracket 11 by screws 41 which are threaded intoholes 42 in the bracket 11. One of these screws also secures one end ofa suitable reflector plate 43 which is diagonally disposed within theright hand portion of the box 15 for providing even illumination fromthe lamp 19 of the nameplate in the cover 16. The cover .16 for the box15 is formed with cars 44 at its back sides for making the cover 16quickly detachable from the box 15. The name to be 'displayed by thelight signal can be typed or printed on translucent material andinserted on the inside of the light box cover 16.

One manner in which the modules can be used in combination isillustrated in FIG. 2, wherein a register 48 comprises a plurality ofthe modules disposed one above another.

FIG. 1 illustrates one system of electrical control that can be providedfor a lamp 19 of a typical module. This comprises the use of a twoposition switch 45 for selecting energization of the lamp 19 with steadyenergy from a source of energy 46 when the switch 45 is in its upperposition, and for selection of energization of the lamp 19 with flashingenergy governed by a suitable flasher 47 when the switch 45 is in itslower position. The switch 12 is connected in series with the lamp 19 toturn the lamp 19 on and off in accordance with manual actuation of thebracket 11. The switch 45 can be positioned to provide a steady or aflashing aspect of the signal to convey specific information, such aswhether or not there is a message for the particular party named on thename plate.

Having thus described one embodiment of a pushbutton switch having anameplate light signal, it is desired to be understood that this form isselected to facilitate .the disclosure of the invention, rather than tolimit the number of forms the invention may assume. While the inventionhas been described in its preferred embodiment, it is to be understoodthat the words which have been used are words of description rather thanof limitation, and that changes within the purview of the appendingclaims may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention in its proper aspects.

What I claim is:

1. A pushbutton switch having a nameplate light signal on the face ofthe pushbutton adapted to be secured as one of several modular units toa channel support, comprising,

(a) a lamp receptacle secured to the channel support on the outside ofthe channel support having a lamp disposed therein,

(b) a switch secured within the channel support for controllingenergiz'ation of the lamp having an operating lever extending through anopening in the channel,

(c) an L shaped bracket secured on the outside of the channel support tobe operable within limits longitudinally in a direction transverse ofthe channel having a side leg disposed between the lamp receptacle andone side of the channel support and having a front leg spaced away fromanother side of the channel support for longitudinal operation of thelever of the switch, and

(d) a longitudinal light box secured to the front leg of the brackethaving an opening for receiving a portion of the lamp and having atranslucent nameplate cover secured thereto.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the nameplate cover isquickly detachable from the light box.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the bracket is secured tothe channel support by screws passing through the bracket at two spacedlocations,.the screw at one location passing through 'a longitudinalslot in the bracket and the screw at the other location passing througha slot in the channel support.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein a compression spring isdisposed between the front leg of the bracket and said another side ofthe channel support for biasing the bracket away from said other side ofthe channel.

5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the lamp enters the lightbox through an opening in its base at one side of the center of thelight box base, and a reflector is included in the box at the other sideof the center of the base and disposed at an angle relative to the basefor providing even illumination of the nameplate cover.

6. The invention according to claim 5 wherein a portion of the lampextending within the light box is frosted.

7. A plurality of pushbutton switch modules having nameplate lightsignals and secured one above another to a supporting channel, each ofthe modules comprising,

(a) a translucent nameplate cover adapted to be secured to a light box,

(b) a light box having one side enclosed by the cover and having a lampfor illumination of the nameplate,

(c) a switch secured within the channel for governing energization ofthe lamp having an operating lever extending longitudinally through anopening in the channel in the direction of the light box, I

(d) an L shaped bracket disposed on the outside of the channel havingone leg operably secured to the channel to permit limited longitudinalmovement of the bracket for operating the switch by another leg of thebracket,

(e) means for securing the light box to the other leg of the bracketwhereby pressure applied manually on the cover of the light box.actuates the switch for illumination of the nameplate.

8. The invention according to claim 7 wherein a nameplate cover for eachmodule is detachably secured to the light box of that module for quick.detachment to change the nameplate or replace the lamp.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,265,124 12/1941 Andres 200-1673,007,150 10/1961 Arrasmith 200167 3,155,806 10/1964 Klingernberg200-l67 3,309,697 3/1967 Skrbiua 200-167 ROBERT K. SCI-IAEFER, PrimaryExaminer.

H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner. U

